2014 Afghanistan Presidential Election Saturday April 05,2014

The Afghan Presidential Election is scheduled for Saturday April 05,2014 and the elections will be the first time in Afghanistan's history that power will be democratically transferred.

Incumbent President Hamid Karzai  will not be eligible to run due to term limits.

The registration period for presidential nominations was open from Sep16,2013 until Oct 06,2013

Presidential Candidates

A total of 27 candidates were confirmed to be running for office.

However, on 22 October Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission(IEC) disqualified 16 of the candidates, leaving only 11 in the race

1. Abdullah Abdullah
2. Mohammad Daud Sultanzoy
3. Abdul Rahim Wardak - Withdrew
4. Quayum Karzai - Withdrew and supported Rassoul
5. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
6. Sardar Mohammad Nadir Naeem - Withdrew and supported Rassoul
7. Zalmai Rassoul
8. Qutbuddin Hilal
9. Gul Agha Sherzai
10. Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf
11. Hidayat Amin Arsala

Hence,there are 8 presidential candidates

Opinion polls show Abdullah Abdullah(former foreign minister) and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai(former finance minister)as the front-runners

If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the two top contenders will go to a run-off on May 28,2014

About 12 million voters are eligible to cast ballots at some 6,400 polling centres across the country, according to IEC. Around 400,000 security forces have been deployed.

Afghans go to the polls to elect a president to succeed Hamid Karzai, who has governed Afghanistan since the 2001 fall of the Taliban but is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term. 

Thousands of Afghans lined up at polling centres in Kabul from early morning to cast their ballots.

“This is a very good day for Afghans. People are going to elect their president and provincial council members,” Election Commission chief Yousuf Nooristani said

Outgoing president Hamid Karzai, who is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, cast his ballot at Amani High School,Kabul

 2014 Afghanistan Presidential Election Run-Off Saturday June 14,2014

About 12 million Afghans are eligible to vote. Polls opened at 0700 local time (0330 BST) amid tight security at more than 6,000 polling centres.

The choice is between former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.

It should be the first time that power in Afghanistan has been democratically transferred.

Abdullah Abdullah won 45% of the first-round vote, with Ashraf Ghani securing 31.6% - multiple fraud claims were made against both sides.

The pair came top of an 8-man field, but because neither reached the 50% threshold needed for an outright victory, Saturday's run-off election was necessary.